Folding landing-net



(No Model.) G. S. HEBARD.

FOLDING LANDING NET.

No. 440,568. Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

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INVEN'T'DH %,3 who, @Qm/Lq/L Qqmm mfimwf UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES S. HEBARD, OF PEQUAMING, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING LANDING-NET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,568, dated November11, 1890.

Application filed May 2, 1890. Serial No. 350,266. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

3e it known that 1, CHARLES S. HEBARD, a cltlzen of the United States,residing at Pequaming, in the county of Baraga and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Landing-Nets, of which the following is a specification.

My lnvention has relation to fishing-tackle, with reference particularlyto landing-nets, and has for its object the provision of novel, simple,and eiiicient means whereby such nets with their appurtenant parts-suchas the frame or hoop and the handle-may, for convenience of carriagewhen not in use, be all reduced to the compass or bulk of the saidhandle without necessitating the detachment or separation of any of theparts from their operative relation.

My invention consists in certain details of construction and in thecombinations of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed,having reference particularly to the provision of a hollow handle ofordinary length provided with a longitudinal slot of approximately evenlength with the handle and having at each end an offset or L-shapedextension, in which slot slides a button sustained in a round plug ofslightly less diameter than the inner diameter of said handle, in orderthat the said plug may slide to and fro in the handle under the impulseof the button and be locked against movement in either direction by theengagement of the latter with one of the aforesaid oifsets. Pivoted insaid plugis a pair of arms of such length that when the plug iswithdrawn to the bottom or closed end of the handle such arms will restwholly within said handle, and when the plug is projected to the openend of the handle with the arms in advance said arms are free to be distended into a V shape, in which position they are maintained by aknuckle-jointed rod, which is hinged at each of its ends to the outerends of the aforesaid arms, and by the spring of the arms is maintainedat an angle whose ape); is higher than such ends, thus forming a rigidframe for the net, which latter is secured to rings which slide freelyon the rod and arms, according as the same are manipulated. WVhen thisframe is folded in a manner the reverse of the above-described open ingoperation, bringing the arms and rodsections side by side, the net iswound snugly around the same and the bulk of the wholeis slightly lessthan the inner diameter of the handle. and when the plug is withdrawnwill be drawn wholly within said handle and locked against accidentalprojection by the engagement of the button with the offset at the lowerend of the slot.

The details of my invention will be more particularly described andclaimed hereinafter, and will be clearly understood upon reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of myimprovements in position for use, the plug which supports the net-framebeing in section, as is also part of the handle. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the handle and plug with the net and framefolded and within said handle. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts in theposition shown in Fig. 2, the handle showing in full lines. Fig. 4 is anend view of the handle and plug. 7

A represents the net, which is secured to the rings a a, the latterloosely encircling the frame-sections l) b, said sections being hingedor coupledto each otherbythe kn ucklejoints b b 11*, secured to theircontiguous ends, the joints b b having their shoulders facing outwardlyfrom the frame and the joint I) havingits shoulders facing'inwardly, asshown in the drawings. The inner ends of the sections 1), or the endsopposite to those on which are secured half of the knucklejoints, areprovided with elongated heads 19, which are square in cross-section andare beveled or wedge-shaped at their lower ends on their opposite faces,as shown at I). Said heads are pivoted on pins 0 in a slot or kerf c inthe end of a round plug 0, which slot passes clear through from side toside of said plug transversely of its axis, affording a clearance forthe swing of the heads b on their pins and having therein a transversepin 0 midway between said heads and receiving the impact of theirbeveled portions lr when in the position shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, limiting the outward swing of said heads and avoiding strainon any part other than this pin. As shown, the lower portion of the plug0 is bored out, which is for the purpose of reducing the weight only andtakes no part in my invention.

D represents the hollow tubular handle, which may be of any suitablematerial, and has therein a longitudinal slot d, withoppositely-disposed offsets or recesses d at each end, such slotaffording a slideway for the shank of the button 0 which is secured inthe side of the plug 0, and affords means for the actuation of saidplug, the diameter of the plug being of such size relatively to theinner diameter of the handle as to permit of its sliding easily thereinwithout being so loose as to cause it to slide unassisted, and thedimensions or proportions of the arms or sections of the net-frame aresuch that when folded and the net wound around them the entire bulk willbe at greatest as small as the diameter of the plug, so that when theplug is drawn into the handle from its open end the frame and folded netwill be free to enter said open end. The lower or inner end of thehandle D is closed by the cap (1 in which is swivelly secured the chainc, which sustains the snap-hook E, which chain and hook are provided forconvenience in carrying when temporarily out of use, being hooked in abutton-hole to a belt or elsewhere.

The operation is as follows: Starting at Figs. 2 and 3, the button 0which is in the lower offset of the slot d, and thereby locks the plug 0to which it is attached against unintentioned longitudinal movement, isgrasped and pushed to the right, turning the plug and its appurtenantparts correspondingly until in alignment with said slot,whereupon it isfurther pushed upwardly in the slot until it strikes the other endthereof, carrying the plug to the position shown in Fig. 1. Finally, thebutton is pushed laterally into the upper offset of slot d, thus lookingplug 0 in this position, in which position the frame-sections b b willstill be in the close relation shown in Fig. 2, while projecting whollybeyond and outside the open end of the handle D. Now, the net A isunwound entirely until it merely hangs unstretched from the rings aa',thus leaving the sections b free to be distended in a V shape untiltheir heads b at the beveled portions 12 contact with the pin 0 whichpin limits the distension above mentioned and prevents the strain on theend of the handle, which would result if this pin were not provided. Inthis position the normal distance between the outer ends of thesections 1) is considerably less than a distance equal to the combinedlengths of the sections 1). Consequently the outer ends of thesections 1) must spring outwardly sufficiently to allow of bringing thesections 1) from a position the reverse of to the position occupied bysaid sections in Fig. 1, which they do in response to an outward thrustexerted thereon, which thrust is limited by the shoulders on theknuckle-joints. After the joint 12 has passed the plane of the outerends of the sections b, such sections spring inwardly again and exert astrong pressure against any inward tendency of the sections 1) of suchdegree as to Wholly prevent accidental collapsing of the frame, therings a a being of such size as to freely sl de on the sections in theopening and closing operations without binding thereon.

To place the parts in their original posltions, the sections 1) arepushed inwardly against the spring-pressure of the arms b until theypass the plane of the ends of the latter. Said arms I) are then drawninwardly toward each other, causing the same action on the part ofsections b. WVhen the sectlonshave all come into close relation, therings will occupy the positions shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the net iswound around them as snugly as possible, the button 0 released from theupper recess and slid along the slot and into engagement with the lowerrecess, and the plug G thereby drawn into the handle and clear to thelower end thereof, drawing in after it the arms or sections and the netin their folded conditions wholly within the confines of said handle.Thus the net is protected from injury and all the parts are in operativeconnection and ready for use after the frame is opened at alltimes andoccupying little space when so folded.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. The combination of a hollow handle, a

folding net-frame, and a sliding plug in the handle for the support ofsaid frame 1n ts Open condition and drawing the same within said handlein its folded condition, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of a folding frame for the support of a landing-net,composed of two sections pivoted at their inner ends in a handle and attheir outer ends diverging and connected by knuckle-joints to two othersections which converge and are connected at their adjacent ends by aknuckle-joint, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of a hollow handle having therein a sliding plugpivotally supporting two sections of a folding frame for the support ofa landing-net, said sections at their outer ends diverging and areconnected by knuckle-joints to two other sections which converge and areconnected at their adjacent ends byaknuckle-joint,substantiallyas shownand described.

4. The com bination of the net A, supported on the sections 1) b, theinterposed knucklejoints 2) b I), the heads b on the sections b, thepins 0 for the support of said heads, and the pin cZinterposed betweenthe latter, said pins being supported in a plug adapted to slide in ahollow handle, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of a hollow handle having therein a longitudinal slotd, with oppositely-disposed offsets d at each end, a sliding plugprovided with a knob or button whose shank rests in said slot, and afolding IIO said sections for the support of a landing-net,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I olaini the foregoing I have hereunto set my handthis 12th day of April, A. D. 1890.

CHARLES S. HEB ARD.

' Witnesses:

WM. H. POWELL, R. DALE SPARHAWK.

